


Bloodlines

by snipsnsnailsnwerewolftales



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Anchors, Angst, Angst and Humor, Attempt at Humor, F/M, First Time Shifting, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Humor, Humorous Ending, Hunters, Light Angst, Nemeton, Pack, Pack Bonding, Pack Dynamics, Pack Family, Pack Feels, Post-Nemeton, Romance, Some Humor, Wolf Pack, shift - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-02
Updated: 2018-01-02
Packaged: 2019-02-27 05:18:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 21,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13241238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snipsnsnailsnwerewolftales/pseuds/snipsnsnailsnwerewolftales
Summary: Coming back to Beacon Hills was supposed to be uneventful. Yet somehow, you are now stuck in the middle of two worlds you didn't even know existed yesterday. Now between both worlds, but not belonging to either, you try to forge your own way, finding out that some ties are stronger than bloodlines.XxxBased off of the song "Heathens" by Twenty One Pilots, this will be a multichapter fic with either a lyric being a chapter title, or the headers to break down the thought process of the chapter. None of the lyrics are mine, and they are all in bold - Again, I do not claim to own them, all credit where credit is due.XxxI do not own Teen Wolf or it's characters. Sadly.





	1. Disclaimer

_A/N: Based off of the song "Heathens" by Twenty One Pilots, this will be a multichapter fic with either a lyric being a chapter title, or the headers to break down the thought process of the chapter. None of the lyrics are mine, and they are all in bold - Again, I do not claim to own them, all credit where credit is due._

Xxx

**I do not own Teen Wolf or it's characters. Sadly.**

Xxx

**_Coming back to Beacon Hills was supposed to be uneventful. Yet somehow, you are now stuck in the middle of two worlds you didn't even know existed yesterday. Now between both worlds, but not belonging to either, you try to forge your own way, finding out that some ties are stronger than bloodlines._ **

 


	2. Part 1

Xxx

**All my friends are heathens. Take it slow**

First day back to school and you were late. _Great_. Running in just as the bell rang, you paused for just a second to look down at the slip of paper that had your locker number scrawled on it, looking back up quickly to scan the nearby numbers until you landed on yours. Jogging down the familiar hallways, you stopped in front of the locker designated to you, sighing as you swung it's blue door open, smirking at the creak of protest it gave at the motion. _Believe me, I agree with you_ , you grinned as you had an internal conversation with the cubby hole. _That's the exact noise I made when my alarm went off today_.

The locker door to your left that had been wide open and obscuring the person rifling through it's contents with muttered curses just a second ago slammed shut, and you were brought face to face with your new locker mate.

It took a moment, both of you blinking repeatedly in shock until you finally found your voice again. "Stiles?" It was smaller than you intended, disbelieving, but happy.

His eyes wide, your old friend stared at you blankly for a moment too long before shaking his head, a grin climbing up his face. "Y/N?" His voice mirrored your own.

The two of you were just smiling like idiots, unable to do much of anything else, staring at one another. He had been your best friend, after all. Even after falling out of touch a few months back, you shared the type of bond you could pick right back up where you left off with minimal effort.

"What're you doing here?" He asked finally, scratching the back of his head in what looked like nerves. "I thought you moved-"

"We did, yeah. But dad got a call from your dad- er, the Sheriff, sorry, and said they had some openings as of recently, and could really use someone who knew the area. You know how my dad is in those woods, and my mom missed her old home town too much, so, tada!" You smiled wide, holding your hands out to the side with a flourish on the last word.

"Do you know anything in particular he was called back for?"

You raised your eyebrows at Stiles' sudden intensity and interest. "Um, something about animal attacks? You know my parents," you rolled your eyes with a chuckle. "Just wait, pretty soon my mom will have a petition to help the animal, catch it humanely, maybe even keep it in a zoo, and my dad will be leading the rangers through the woods tracking the darn thing, wanting to do the exact opposite." Huffing out a laugh, you looked at your shoes as you spoke. "Beacon Hills is about to get very interesting." You looked up at your friend through your lashes, keeping your face down to hide from the figurative embarrassment you were already beginning to feel from their impending antics. "They won't know how to handle my family."

Smiling a smile that didn't quite meet his eyes, and even seemed somewhat sad, Stiles hummed in what sounded like agreement. "Well, Beacon Hills has changed a lot since you have been here. One more family with old blood can't do too much damage. Seems the only sane people these days are the people with roots already in this town...."

"Nothing ever happens here! Did Hell freeze over? Did I miss some zombie apocalypse that has left this town one of the only surviving cities? Or was it even more drastic?" You gasped playfully, reaching a hand out to put on his forearm. "What, did Lydia Martin finally give you the time of day?"

He laughed softly at this, patting your hand on his arm before playfully shoving it away, looking over your shoulder distractedly. "Yeah, you could say that."

Turning to see what he was looking at, you saw another familiar face, Scott McCall, standing in the doorway of the entrance of the school, door propped slightly open as he gestured Stiles over while the warning bell rang again. "Skipping already, Stilinski?" You looked back to your friend in front of you, one eyebrow cocked sarcastically.

"Ah, no- Yeah- Wait." He looked back to you, holding a finger up to Scott asking for just a second. You had to bite back a laugh as you heard the grunt of impatient frustration from the doorway behind you. "We have a free period, and Scott likes to get to the donut shop before it closes, really, it's an addiction of his, it's horrible, powdered sugar everywhere, we may have to have an intervention soon, but anyway, only I have a car...."

He was rambling, not bothering to take a breath, which meant he was up to no good, and it made you smile. Picking up right where you left off.

Looking back at Scott with a smile, he waved at you gently, looking at you curiously, like he couldn't quite place you. "He doesn't look like he is having a problem with pastries." He was in damn near perfect shape, if you were being honest.

"Metabolism thing...." Stiles said offhandedly, waving his friend off again as he gestured to Stiles more urgently, and you could picture the eyeroll that must have accompanied the grunt Scott let out yet again. "Look," he said seriously, turning back to you, and putting a hand on your shoulder, which you turned to look at questioningly before meeting his serious gaze with one of your own. "I think I know why your dad was called in. I can't explain right now, but Beacon Hills is way different than when you left. Please, for my sake, try not to talk to anyone unless you have to, and meet me after school. Our old hangout spot. I'll try to explain."

You chuckled. Surely he couldn't be serious. "Stiles, that's a little extreme-"

"I'm just trying to keep you safe. Trust me."

You studied his face before nodding once gently. "Okay."

You watched as he jogged toward Scott who was now completely out the door, mumbling about 'finally', before you couldn't help yourself. "Why can't I talk to people if this is all about animal attacks?"

Stiles stopped in his tracks and turned to face you. "Because the world is full of lunatics." And then he was gone, leaving you alone, confused, and seriously questioning too many things.

**Wait for them to ask you who you know**

You were waiting at the coffee house after school for Stiles when the man approached you. He had a black leather jacket, and dark denim jeans. Honestly, he looked like a bad guy in a movie, and you would have made some sarcastic remark had he not pulled out a badge to show you that he worked with your father. "You're the new guy's kid, right? Y/N?"

"Yes, sir, but you'd be better off asking my dad anything you need to know, seeing as he hasn't told me much of anything." Something felt off, his smile a bit too broad.

"I just wanted to get to know a little bit about his background, you know? Make a good first impression. It's not everyday we get transfers."

You cleared your throat, nodding with a small smile just to keep the creepy dude calm. "Well, uh, all I have heard in bits and pieces is something about animal attacks, and how they needed his tracking skills to find whatever is doing this. They kept referring to it as 'packs', so I guess they are looking for some kind of wolf, or dog, or.... I don't know. Like I said, officer, I only hear a little every now and then, you really should just ask him, he doesn't bite, I promise."

The man nodded, gesturing to your cup of coffee you were fiddling with. "Thanks. Enjoy your coffee."

He wasn't gone two seconds before Stiles slid into the seat opposite you, startling you. "Why were you talking to them?"

"Geeze, Stiles! Hello to you, too!" You put a hand over your heart. "I'm beginning to think coffee was a bad idea."

"What did he want?" Stiles pressed, and both of you being children of law enforcement, you knew his concern and sighed.

"It was just a friendly coffee, Stiles." You fiddled with your cup some more, spinning it clockwise absently as you watched your friend. "Why?"

"He didn't seem off to you?"

"Well, yeah, I mean, he was dressed like a comic book villain, but he had a badge, so I can't really argue with that in the middle of the coffee shop. Especially if he is not who he says he is, because then, if I 'resist' and get 'arrested' by 'Officer NoGoode'," Stiles snorted at the name you gave, "I could end up who knows where." You studied him a moment longer. "He wanted some information about my dad, and I told him all I knew which is something about animal attacks, and something about packs, so-"

"Wait, you told him all that?!" Stiles was wide eyed.

"Yeah! I don't see what the problem is!" You slumped back in your seat. "And I would really appreciate it if you wouldn't keep me in the dark here, Stiles! We both grew up with cops for a dad. You know what it's like to be afraid each time they go to work, or are late coming home, or when weirdo guys with badges come and question you before your dad's first day."

Stiles sighed, holding his head in his hand for a moment before nodding in consent, turning so he cradled his temple in his palm, elbow resting on the table to support his head as he met your gaze. "They are dangerous, and they don't like my friends.... Just..... Next time wait for me, yeah?"

You nodded, knowing this was the best you were going to get. "Yeah."

**Please don't make any sudden moves**

Stiles wasn't answering his phone, so you hacked into his GPS and got an address. You rolled your eyes. Of course he was in an abandoned building. Where else would he be? Not lacrosse practice.

Sliding the door open to the top room in the abandoned warehouse where you heard voices coming from behind, you stopped in your tracks.

The whole room froze. Vaguely you registered this was a loft, filled with several of your classmates including Lydia and Stiles, and a few other faces you had seen talking to Stiles earlier in the day in the halls. The main thing was the action in the center of the room, where Scott was being held close in a tight grip of one fist in his shirt, the other guy using his height to his advantage and bending down close to Scott's face.

What you weren't expecting was for that man's face to turn toward you and it be a face you recognized. "Derek?"

"Y/N?" He sounded like he'd seen a ghost.

"Y/N!" Stiles proclaimed loudly, coming over to you and trying to pull you out of the loft.

"Stiles, no!" You tried to yank your arm free of his grip, pulling your way back into the space. "I want to see-" You made one step back over the threshold before you were cut short by the faces of your classmates you still didn't have names to morphing into something with glowing eyes of all different shades, fangs growing past their lips as a few growls slipped by, too, and claws extending from their fingertips.

Stiles stumbled in to get in front of you, slowly backing you back out of the loft, his shoes squeaking on the cement floor. "She's a friend, guys! Whoa! Cage the fangs!" He sounded so nonchalant.

"What.... The.... _Hell_...." You had no other words.

"Stiles, get her out of here!" You heard Derek say. "I'll deal with them." Suddenly his eyes were glowing, too, bright blue, and he released Scott, who had glowing red eyes. The two of them turned to the others, letting out a loud roar, Derek having to hold back a few challengers, but Scott only had to send them a warning growl for them to stop.

Packs. Animal attacks. This was all making sense.

Stiles started backing up again slowly, reaching an arm back to make sure you were still there. "Y/N, just stay behind me. We need to talk. .....Away from their territory."

**You don't know the half of the abuse**

"Being a werewolf sounds awesome!" You smiled, setting your coffee cup down rather forcefully.

"No more of this for you," Derek mumbled, reaching from his spot across the table and lifting the coffee cup away from you, setting it on the empty table behind them.

Stiles sighed. "Y/N, yeah there are perks, but.... It's a curse for a reason."

Derek grunted. "It's a gift, not a curse."

"Oh, bite me," Stiles snapped back.

Scott massaged the spot between his eyes as he sighed. "It's both you guys, okay? Like so many things, it has it's perks, and it's downsides. Like your dad's being cops. Sure, we get law enforcement, great. But it's a high risk job, and it comes with dangers that could otherwise be avoided."

"Did you just finish your practice essay for the test during English today?" You asked Scott after a moment.

"Yeah, why?" Scott seemed hesitant.

"That was the most diplomatic and put together thing I have ever heard you say."

"Oh, shut up," he lightly pushed your shoulder. "Now I remember why I didn't miss you."

"Ouch," you said, hand held to your heart in mock insult.

The two of you had always been like this. You only really knew one another because of Stiles, but there was a friendship there, hidden in quips and jabs.

"Derek, why did you never tell me?"

Derek opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off by Stiles. "Why did you never tell us you knew Derek Hale?"

You shrugged. "I didn't think it was important."

Trying once again to respond, this time Derek let a loud breath out through his nose when Scott interrupted. "Wait. You're a year older than us, right? You stayed back a year for family reasons, or something...."

"Yeah...." You raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Please don't tell me you two dated. It feels like Derek has dated half the town. That we know of."

You laughed loudly at the death glare Derek sent Scott's way. "Our families were friends."

You nodded, realization hitting you like a ton of bricks. "I'm sorry about your family! Laura, Cora, Peter-"

"Thank you," Derek cut in. "Cora actually made it, I found out a bit ago, and as for Peter.... No need to be sorry-"

Suddenly someone sat next to you at the table, arm around the back of your chair casually. "Now what are you apologizing for on my behalf this time, Derek?" You heard a voice you hadn't heard in years.

"Peter?"

He grinned maniacally. "The one and only."

Xxx

 


	3. Part 2

Xxx

**All my friends are heathens. Take it slow**

Peter had survived the fire, only to have it drive him mad, power hungry, and become a, well.... _Lunatic_.

You stared down at the tabletop taking in all the information being hurled your way from Derek, Scott, and Stiles, taking Peter's peanut gallery side comments with a grain of salt. "The reason I did that was-"

"No, Peter!" You cut him off angrily, looking up from the pattern of the tabletop you'd let yourself get lost in, meeting his gaze harshly. "There is no reason for these things. I don't care. You are certifiably insane, and deserve to rot in a cell somewhere, as far as I'm concerned."

"That's not very nice, Y/N," he chided in a condescending tone, but something deep down in his voice seemed to be smiling, happy to be under your skin. And it irked you.

"The Peter I remember was kind, and I considered him my own uncle. He loved the color red and had a soft spot for kittens. He used to throw me up in the air and make me think I could fly, if only for a few seconds, and told me to never take any of the shit this world would throw my way. This," you gestured to the shell of a man you saw beside you, "is not that man. I don't even know if that man exists anymore."

"I can assure you, he doesn't," Peter said after a moment, and you could detect the slightest amount of sadness in his tone. Somewhere deep down you thought he might have wanted to sway you back to his side, but it was clear now that that wasn't even a remote possibility. Now it was his turn to study the tabletop. "That man died when an Alpha was born."

"And what's your excuse now that the Alpha has died?"

You had never been so afraid as you were under the gaze Peter slowly turned your way. You also had never stood your ground so firmly in the face of such fear. This straighter spine of yours was new, something else to add to a growing list of things to keep track of.

"He didn't die. He's simply taking a step back for the moment." Peter's voice was like ice.

Stiles snorted. "Yeah. Sure. Has nothing to do with the one you bit being a one in a million Alpha."

Peter stood abruptly, causing his chair to slide back with an ugly scraping sound, a low growl escaping his throat as he lowered furious glowing blue eyes at Stiles. Just as quickly Derek was on his feet from his spot across the table, Scott doing the same beside you, both of their chairs also scraping the floor, and making you cringe. Glancing around the coffee shop, you were glad to see it had emptied, and the employees were all in back cleaning.

"Try it Peter. I dare you," Derek rumbled, his eyes flashing that brilliant blue for only a second in warning.

"Guys, stop it!" Scott hissed, snarling as he let his bright red eyes glow without restraint.

Derek yielded, sitting once again, but Peter stared Scott in the eyes, challenging him. "Careful, baby Alpha. I made you. Remember that."

Scott growled. " _I_ made me, Peter. You're just the freakshow that set things in motion by biting an innocent bystander in the middle of the night. Remember that."

Scott's words had the hairs on the back of your neck standing on end as you stared up at him as he stood to your left looking over your head directly at Peter to your right. You then turned forward, looking to Stiles across the table wide eyed before looking to Peter. His eyes faded, and you could have sworn you saw fear laced in there somewhere, despite his tough facade as he yanked his chair back forward with one foot, and sat down in a huff like a child throwing a tantrum.

Looking back to Scott you saw him let his eyes fade, slowly sitting back down, the epitome of composure. You were about to comment on it when you were cut short by some unintelligible, but most likely evil muttering from Peter, then felt a searing pain on the back of one of your arms. Letting out a cry of pain, the next few seconds were a blur, with Derek leaping across the table like it didn't even exist, and tackling Peter to the floor with a terrifying growl, blue eyes glowing, Peter tried to get back up without success as Derek growled in his face, only to stop as Scott towered over them both, red eyes bright as he let out a terrifying roar, Peter's eyes fading once again in submission, Derek not far behind.

"Oh my God, Y/N, are you okay?" Stiles was at your side inspecting your arm, and you realized you had gotten to your feet sometime during the incident.

"Yeah, yeah...." You looked away from the scene and down to your arm, wincing at the sight of the nasty cut. "Yeah, I'm fine, Stiles."

"I didn't mean to, Y/N!" Peter sounded frantic, and actually sincerely apologetic. "Honestly, I was going for Scott and-"

Derek, still perched over him on the floor, punched him in the face to silence him. "You talk too much."

"Y/N, we seriously need to get Melissa and get that stitched up-"

"Stiles, it's just a scratch!"

"Still," Scott's hand gently on your back drew your attention away from a frantic Stiles, and he met your gaze, seeming to ask permission to inspect the wound, and you nodded, looking back to Derek who looked on with composure still over Peter, who was out cold, the pain starting to ease up a bit. "I think my mom should take a look at this. It's not deep enough to turn you or anything, but it's enough that it could get infected."

"Y/N, I told you to stay away from them for a while!" You turned to Stiles who was running his hands through his hair, making him look like a crazy person, strands of it going every which way.

"No, you didn't-"

"I told you not to talk to anyone-"

"Oh, my God! Stiles!" You gripped his shoulders with your hands, shaking him gently. "We are past that. We were past that the moment I showed up to watch lacrosse practice, and you weren't there, so I tracked you to the loft. We were past that the moment I stumbled into this. You warned me, and I didn't listen. Thank you for looking out for me."

It was a moment before Stiles responded, looking at a still out cold Peter on the floor behind you. "Yeah, people should listen to me more. I know stuff. Why don't people get that?"

**Wait for them to ask you who you know**

Peter was being watched by the pack at the moment, back at the loft, while Derek, Stiles, and Scott went with you to the McCall house to see Melissa about the scratch. "I can't even have a night off on my night off!" Melissa laughed when she saw you enter with a bloody tear in your shirt. "Y/N? Oh my God, sweetie, it's been too long!" She hugged you, careful to avoid the scratch, and you smiled. "Good to see you, too, Mrs. M!"

As she stitched you up, Derek sat on the coffee table in front of the couch you were perched on, inspecting Melissa's work absently. "Why were you talking to hunters?"

"Oh my God," Stiles muttered from his seat across the room, burying his face in his hands.

"Wait, what? Hunters? I'm lost." You looked between the faces of your friends, snorting at Melissa's muttered, "Welcome to my world...."

Stiles emerged from behind his hands. "The dude at the coffee shop. He's a hunter. That's why I was worried when he talked to you."

"Oh. Creepy dude?" You looked to Derek. "He was dressed a lot like you. Makes sense, now." Derek glowed his eyes and let out a growl at you, making you chuckle. "Derek, chill, I'm kidding. Kind of.... I, um.... Can you stop glowing your eyes at me? Geeze!" He obliged with a huff. "I had no idea, and I didn't even tell them anything because I know nothing!"

"You told them about 'packs' and 'animal attacks'," Stiles said quietly, grimacing at the glare you turned his way as Scott and Derek groaned.

"But that's it! All I know is my dad was called here to help with those things."

"Then your dad must be a hunter," Scott said quietly.

"What? No!" You laughed gently, turning your glance Melissa's way, only to have her meet your gaze with a look of agreement.

"Or a werewolf," Derek suggested just as softly.

"What?!" You grimaced as your movement caused the cut to stretch against the stitches.

Scott had made his way around to the back of the couch and set a hand on your shoulder, the pain instantly starting to lessen. You looked at his hand and saw black veins climbing his arm. "Is that what you did when you put your hand on my back in the coffee shop?"

He nodded. "I didn't want to freak you out."

You nodded in return. "Well, thank you."

"She doesn't smell like a wolf," Scott said to Derek after a moment, the pain coming back, but his hand remaining on your shoulder in comfort.

"Just, please, don't be a Kanima." You looked to Stiles in complete confusion. "I hate those things. I can't deal with that again."

**Please don't make any sudden moves**

You went back to the loft, and the pack cleared out, seeing as it was late, leaving you once again with Derek, Scott, and Stiles.

Peter was lying on the couch wide awake, looking up to the ceiling in boredom, twiddling his thumbs. "Sorry again, sweetheart. Hope it's not deep enough to turn you. Because you know, you either survive a turn, or you don't." He looked at you with an evil grin.

"Peter, stop threatening her, or I _will_ kill you again." Derek huffed, saying the words like they had been worn out.

"Yeah, what he said."

"Stiles, shut up."

You smiled, looking to Scott to see him dragging a hand down his face, making you think this was a normal occurrence.

"So, they think my dad is either a hunter or a werewolf," you broke the tension, looking right at Peter as you spoke.

He sat up slowly, looking at you in a way that said his wheels were turning.

"But, apparently I don't smell like one, so...."

"Oh, God, please don't be another Kanima." Peter's voice was bordering on a whine, like he was talking about a simple nuisance you would encounter on a daily basis and not some mythical sounding thing.

All four of them shared a look that seemed to stretch on forever, conveying annoyance at the mere thought more than anything.

You threw your arms up in the air, letting them slap back down to your sides in exasperation. "What the hell is a Kanima?!"

**You don't know the half of the abuse**

"Okay, now that we have established that I am not some homicidal lizard thing that has a venom that apparently has a vendetta for Stiles, can we please move on, back to the subject at hand?"

Peter was pacing in front of the large windows of the loft, staring at the floor.

It was silent for too long.

"Look, guys, if my family are in fact hunters, doesn't this mean that I can help you guys? You have a man on the inside, now. Plus, it can't be that bad."

Peter stopped moving, slowly turning to face you. It was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop. "You know that fire?"

"Yeah...." Your eyes grew wide. "No. That wasn't-"

Peter quickly strode towards you, blue eyes blazing as he flicked one hand with a flourish, claws elongating in one swift motion.

"Peter, if you touch her-" Derek's warning fell on deaf ears.

"No. She needs to know what happens. What happened."

Without warning, Peter stood in front of you, wrapped one arm around you to hold you close, and dug his claws into the back of your neck briefly before withdrawing them. You fell into the arm wrapped around you, and he scooped you up with his other, carrying you over to the couch, and laying you down on the soft cushions.

"What.... The hell.... Is happening...." You could barely get the words out, your teeth chattering like you were shivering.

Flashes of faces, screaming, horror flashed before your eyes, clearing just as quickly as they came, bringing the loft back into focus between each burst. Flames. Pain. Glowing eyes. Fangs. Claws. Growls. Screams. Fear. Smells. Burning things. Food cooking on a grill somewhere distant. Children laughing outside before hurried footsteps put that to a cease. Silence. Eyes that remained all too human throughout the whole ordeal mixed among the ones bright red, yellow, and blue.

"Peter! What the hell did you do to me?!"

Peter sat on the coffee table in front of you, his eyes fading back to normal, and your friends hovering anxiously nearby, looking on. He placed a hand on your shoulder, and you found it comforting, feeling like the old Peter had returned to you somehow. "This is what it's like to be one of us."

Xxx

 


	4. Part 3

Xxx

**Welcome to the room of people**

It had haunted you for days to follow. Faces you'd never seen before, but now would never forget. Faces you knew before, but wanted to forget. The torture, the flames, the pain.... All of it burned every time you closed your eyes. There was nowhere to hide.

It didn't help that it bled into the current pack situation. You couldn't look at anyone the same anymore. Along with the fire, Peter had given you the lovely gift of a brief recap of the makeup of the current pack members, a side which you were sure was entirely tainted with his bitterness that oozed all over every memory, but all the same, it made you think twice, look three times, and breathe deep until the wave passed.

It had you clutching doorways randomly throughout the day, your knuckles turning white as you gripped the steel frames at school, swearing the metal was about to crumple under your vise like grip.

The paranoia was the worst of it. Nowhere was safe. Hunters were everywhere. Spooks and evil creatures in all the dark corners you dared to look in, disappearing when you blinked, and sometimes deciding to stay, making you question which side of reality you were on.

Lydia tried to help when she could, noticing the cloud hanging over your head, the zoning out as you started to see things that weren't really there, something she was all too familiar with. Putting a hand on you gently, saying your name, she was usually able to pull you back, just in time for you to stop making your way from whatever monstrosity you were seeing, looking away before you made it to it's face, which you were sure would never leave your mind no matter how hard you tried.

Stiles tried his best, distracting you with every moment that wasn't occupied with school or pack business, talking your ear off, and you didn't mind it for once. His voice kept you grounded, your only real way to tell which side of the world you were currently on, which side of sanity.

You wanted to question everyone's motives, a nagging feeling in the back of your head telling you there was a reason to second guess whatever they said, whatever they did, whatever happened, no matter what.

You were surrounded by faces you knew, but didn't understand. People you understood, but didn't know.

You were surrounded by uncertainty, and that was the scariest part of all.

**Who have rooms of people that they loved one day**

The name had come up in pack meetings dozens of times, but you hadn't put two and two together until he walked into the loft mid meeting one night.

"Chris?" Your voice of surprise abruptly stopping the current conversation, but you didn't care. You hadn't really been listening anyway.

"Y/N?" His voice had changed, was gruff and weathered, and his face carried a weight beyond his years. "I'd heard you were in town, but just haven't crossed paths with you yet." His smile still made his eyes sparkle, despite the obvious burden he carried on his shoulders, and it made you feel a little bit better knowing at least that part of him wasn't gone.

Flashes. A face. An intense rush of memories from your own end coming out of nowhere.

"I'm sorry about Allison." Your bottom lip trembled. "I should have been here. Even if I wasn't in on all this supernatural crap, I could have been there or something-"

"It's okay, Y/N-"

"No! She was my friend, Chris!" Your voice cracked, heavy with unshed tears. "For years, before Beacon Hills, I remember all the family trips, all the lakeside getaways, all the-" You had to stop. Some cache of memories you hadn't entertained in years unleashing themselves all at once, playing behind your eyes, and pulling on all your heart strings.

"So Y/N's family are hunters?" Derek's voice was resigned. And you couldn't blame him. In fact it made you want to smile. He always got caught in the middle of them.

"No." Chris's answer was firm, but obviously had a much deeper story than a simple one worded answer.

"Werewolves?" Scott sounded hopeful.

Chris sighed. "No."

"Oh, God, she's a Kanima," Stiles moaned from behind you somewhere in the loft.

Chris grunted, annoyed, obviously having been a part of that whole fiasco. "No, that I can guarantee. But the rest.... That's not my story to tell."

Why was your life becoming fuller of unanswered questions than you thought could fit into a lifetime in a matter of days?

**Docked away**

You had to tread lightly. One wrong step and everything was blown away. The minefield of your life was now down to a thin line you had to walk to avoid the wall of solid explosives all around you.

Your parents began to question your whereabouts more often. Your old friends falling by the wayside for lack of time, or simply because of your fear for their safety in your new life.

Things just didn't fit anymore, and you needed to find some sort of balance before you toppled over and everything went up in smoke.

**Just because we check the guns at the door**

"Why can't you just tell us if you know?" You walked into the loft to Peter yelling at Chris, and rolled your eyes.

"It's not my story to tell."

"Then who's is it?" They all jumped at your voice from the doorway. It was just you, Peter, Derek, and Chris.

Chris sighed. "Look, Y/N, have I ever lied to you?"

"Considering the fact that you hunt werewolves and other mythical things of the night and never thought to tell me?"

You stared Chris in the eye, begging him to come back with something witty, daring him to step over the line. You'd had enough revelations this week, you needed a nap before you had anymore.

He smiled. "But I never lied to you. Just because I never told you my side job, doesn't mean I lied." You crossed your arms, huffing, waiting for him to continue. "It's your story, Y/N."

You scoffed. "What do you mean? That doesn't make any-"

"Talia took your memories years ago, before the fire."

After a moment of processing, you turned to Derek and Peter with a betrayed look, only to find them looking to Chris with knit eyebrows, rubbing the backs of their necks absently. "She sure loved that trick," Peter mumbled, grinning slightly with a gentle shake of his head.

"And no, I can't say anything else," Chris continued. "The Hunters Code may have been drug through the mud recently, but as far as friends go, I swore I'd never tell. The Hale's and Argent's were in fact on good speaking terms once, and I promised Derek's mother I wouldn't be the one to tell you. I've already said too much. It'll all make sense in time, I promise."

**Doesn't mean our brains will change from hand grenades**

Derek's mother's name had struck a chord in you, in fact it had rung a freaking gong. It was like a tuning fork to the chaos in your brain, her voice clearly ringing out above the mix of flashes you were seeing.

"Trust your instincts. They'll never lead you the wrong way. Let them be your compass when this all becomes too much one day, and may they guide you home, back safe and sound, at the right time, and to the right people." Her eyes had flashed red, and something felt different inside you in the memory, a sense of loyalty, bravery, and understanding. "It was an honor to know you. May we see each other again someday."

Then she did what Peter had done, inserting her claws in the back of your neck. You understood, you knew why, but it became less and less clear with every passing second, and you remembered the single tear falling down your cheek as a piece of you went missing, only to have you forget it moments later.

The loft was back in focus, and you looked to each man's face, meeting their eyes. You don't know how long had passed since the onslaught of memories began, but from the concern on their faces, it must have been too long.

Backing up slowly, you looked absently around the loft behind them, trying to keep the flashes at bay, before you just turned and ran, making your way down the flights of stairs and out into the night, running, running, running, until trees surrounded you, and you ran further still, letting your instincts drive you.

Where, you knew not, but if they couldn't be wrong, they were leading you back to yourself.

Back to what you had lost.

Back to the balance you couldn't seem to find.

They were leading you more toward a feeling, than anything, an odd sense of direction pulling you toward the pieces you longed for so desperately.

And you had a feeling, when you got there, whatever it was wouldn't surprise you a bit.

Xxx

 


	5. Part 4

Xxx

**You'll never know the psychopath sitting next to you**

Stopping mid run and grabbing your head with both hands, you grimaced at the onslaught of memories flooding your mind. When Talia took them, she must have installed some failsafe just in case, a way for you to get them back if she weren't around. You wondered with a heavy heart if she _knew_ she wouldn't be around.

Dropping your hands, you looked up to the sky, blind to the beauty of the twinkling stars above you, only able to acknowledge you were in some sort of clearing as you spun in slow circles, taking in as much of your surroundings as you could. You had a moment between the replays, and you used it to make sure the area was clear, safe, before you just collapsed to the ground, broke down and sobbed.

How many times had you sat next to Peter at lacrosse games? Smiled like nothing was wrong. Ignorant to the man he had become. And before that, how many times had you visited the Hale house, gone out for coffee, or gone to one of Derek's basketball games and sat next to the lunatic?

How could you be so unaware? How could so much be missing? How could it all be happening under your nose when you'd had all the pieces, and you still not know?

You may have been young, and he may have just been humoring you since Derek treated you like family, but you had thought Peter saw you as extended family, too. You were only three years younger than Derek, four during certain months, and he never let you forget it, but you still considered all of the Hale's your family by proximity.

He had been a good man. A kind man. A friend.

And somehow, on some level, he still was.

Despite everything, you still needed him in your life. His role wasn't over.

**You'll never know the murderer sitting next to you**

You sat there sobbing, gradually letting it ease into sniffles before you raised your head back up again.

"Y/N?"

No. It couldn't be her. This wasn't possible. She was dead.

"Allison?"

This was crazy. How could you even entertain the idea of talking to a dead person? Maybe you were a banshee.... You heard her laugh drift through the forest around you, not able to pin one location. "No, you're more of a war cry kind of person. You don't have the pipes to scream like that."

"How did you-"

"I'm in your head, Y/N. One of the perks is reading your mind. You think I'd pass up on that golden opportunity?"

You laughed softly, shaking your head gently. "You weirdo."

"Says the one talking to a figment of her imagination."

You just laughed. Well, she wasn't wrong.

"There it is! You haven't smiled in too long, Y/N. Don't let all this town drama get you down. The only legacy you need to worry about is your own. Believe me. I speak from experience."

"What other legacy would I be living up to?" You swiped at a few straggling tears, looking around absently for the source of the voice floating on the wind.

"Oh, that's right. You don't know yet. Well, remember yet." She paused. "Either way, it's still true. Even when you do remember, you still need to focus on you. Worry about your own thing. Don't let a name, a rumor, a history get you down. Rise up, dust off, and move on."

A silence settled over you, and you could sense things left unspoken. "Don't hold it against them. Against him," she finally spoke. "They all thought we were better not knowing. But just like you, I stumbled into this. It's in our blood, it's who we are. Eventually we're bound to find it in the end."

You smiled as a gentle breeze blew. "I never got to say goodbye."

She sounded like she was smiling. "And now you'll never have to."

**You'll think, "How'd I get here, sitting next to you?"**

You pondered the whispers of ghosts. Was your family a group of hunters? Maybe like Deaton, some kind of Druids.... Or were werewolves still a possibility?

You scoffed, shaking your head. None of that was a possibility as of an hour ago. What had changed since then? Leaning your head back with a sigh, you let it rest against the tree at your back, only to have it thump all the way back onto the flat surface of a stump. Eyes going wide, you quickly rose to your feet, swearing it had been an entire tree when you sat down, only to turn around and see the stump of an old tree in front of you. It looked ancient.

Reaching out timidly, you set your hand onto the many rings along the surface, proving how old the tree was. You felt a surge of power, of something, almost like electricity suddenly running from head to toe. Yanking your hand back quickly, the sensation subsided, but didn't disappear.

Something inside you had just woken up, and it was getting ready to roar.

**But after all I've said**

"This is what I was afraid of." Stiles' voice startled you, making you look over your shoulder at the sound. Stiles stood on the edge of the clearing, looking at you sheepishly. He kept toeing the border that lead into the vast circle surrounding the stump, but the wary glance he sent it's way seemed to be the deciding factor that kept him on his side of the line. He looked tired.

"How did you find me?" Of all the things you wanted to say, all the things that hung in that brief moment of silence as you took in his appearance, that was what came out first.

"This seems to be the spot to come when you are having some sort of supernatural revelation." He smiled almost sadly. His hands dug deep into his pockets. "It's the Nemeton." He pushed his hands down further still, shrugging at the same time which effectively made him look like an awkward turtle as his lacrosse hoodie swallowed him up in the movement. Letting his shoulder fall, his hands remained in his pockets and he eyed the stump once again before huffing out what sounded like an annoyed grunt and taking a few steps toward you.

You rolled your eyes. "Of course it is. Leave it to me to find it," you muttered, glaring at the stump before stilling, stopping as the thought hit you, Stiles reinforcing it as he voiced what was on your mind.

"Wait. How did you know what that word meant?"

You didn't answer, you just shifted your weight from foot to foot. Truth was, you didn't know.

"Y/N, how did you know? Have you been here before?"

Shaking your head, you turned the opposite direction and began to walk off, hearing his footsteps following quickly after you, making you turn abruptly. "Stiles! I don't know!" You cried, arms wide. A moment of silence passed before you spoke again quietly. "And it scares me."

Suddenly you found yourself wrapped in a hug, this time the lacrosse hoodie swallowed your face, and you were grateful for the small escape, hiding your face in the excess material of the hood for as long as possible, breathing in the familiar smell of Stiles, and letting it calm you. "Too many questions for one night. I'm starting to get a headache," you mumbled into the material, pulling away from Stiles with a huff as he chuckled. "I got myself into, this, Stiles. Not you. Stop blaming yourself. If my family is in this, it would have happened sooner rather than later. I'm just glad I have you. Otherwise, I don't know what I would have done with this information...."

"I'm glad you have me, too!" He smiled.

You laughed. "Please tell me you drove here? I am just realizing how far I ran, and it makes me want to groan endlessly."

**Please don't forget**

You walked the halls of school with your head a little higher. Something had changed that night, and while you knew parts were still missing, they would come along eventually.

Bit by bit life was getting back to normal.

Until there was an emergency pack meeting at the loft. Something new was in town. Something mean and dangerous. Something supernatural. And it wanted something to do with your pack.

Somewhere along the way they had lost the title of "the pack" and become "your pack".

And just that simple change made your head rise just a little bit higher.

"Well, you sure seem better," Scott said, matching your stride down the hallway, his signature crooked yet kind smile on his face as he gave you a once over before looking back forward as you walked side by side.

You smiled. "Yeah. Yeah, I feel better. And all because of a tree stump," you shook your head disbelievingly, huffing out a laugh as you glanced to Scott still beside you.

"The Nemeton?" He winced, his voice annoyed.

You nodded with a smug smile, looking forward yet again. "The Nemeton."

"I hate that thing," Scott mumbled making you laugh gently as you both stepped out into the sunlight, the school day finally over. "So, do you need a ride to the meeting?"

His question caught you off guard, making you narrow your eyebrows at him. You played with the strap of your backpack for a second before answering. "Um, I was just going to ride with Stiles...."

"He left during third period."

You rolled your eyes. "Of course he did," you muttered under your breath, looking strangely again at Scott as he laughed before remembering he had super hearing. "Why? Are you offering me a ride on that little bike of yours?"

"No." Well. That caught you off guard. "Sorry.... I'm Kira's ride."

"Then why did you-"

Tires squealed behind you, and you turned to see Derek in his large SUV.

Turning to Scott, he nodded before you even asked. "You heard him coming, didn't you?" He continued to nod as he slipped on his helmet.

You turned back to Derek. "Stiles has been at the loft all day doing research. I was about to throw a book at him when I realized you probably needed a ride." You laughed, and he smiled broadly. You even heard Scott let out a snort from behind the visor of his helmet. "So. Need a ride?"

"If it's not too much trouble." You smiled knowingly.

"Actually, I have a few things to do, so-" he let off of the brake and the car started to roll forward only to stop abruptly as he laughed at your cry of protest. "Get in."

Opening the door, you climbed in and slammed the door. "Very funny. Ha, ha. Leave the girl stranded in front of the school. How valiant of you."

"I would never," he said playfully. Scott let out a laugh once again. "Shut up, McCall!"

"Oh yeah?" Scott shot back, his red eyes suddenly glowing from behind the visor on the helmet, his voice low. "Make me."

Derek growled, but it sounded more human than wolf, as he threw his car back into gear. "Guy becomes an Alpha and suddenly he's a cocky little sh-"

The revving of Scott's bike cut off Derek's last word, and he rode off past the car with Kira sitting on the rear, arms wrapped around his waist. After a few seconds, Derek mumbled, "Showoff," which Scott must have heard because he popped a small wheelie before peeling away out of the parking lot.

Staring after your friend for a long moment, you then turned to Derek who wore a smug smile. "Shows what he knows. There is a shortcut to the loft if he had turned left." He pulled up to the turn, his blinker blinking lazily. "And I'll be damned if he beats me to my own damned house," he finished quietly, before punching the gas and turning left, the force of it pushing you back in your seat and fumbling for the armrest with a gulp, clutching it for dear life.

Xxx

 


	6. Part 5

Xxx

**All my friends are heathens. Take it slow**

You eyed Derek from the passenger seat as he reached a cruising speed after six or seven sickeningly tight and fast turns.

Glancing your way out of the corner of his eye briefly before turning back to the road, his face remained neutral. "What?"

"When I touched the Nemeton.... Something happened." You looked forward out of the windshield, gripping the handle to the point of white knuckles, but not for fear of the swerving car anymore. Out of fear for what you felt since that night. Like something was pawing, pacing around in your brain, trying to get out, trying to.... Howl for lack of a better word. Simply trying to be free. You were going crazy, constantly on edge from whatever was in your head.

"Do I get a little more to go on besides that?" Derek asked after a moment, eyeing your tight grip on the handle before letting his eyes flit back to yours, then back to the road.

"I just..." Looking out the passenger window, wringing your death grip on the handle like maybe you could squeeze some sanity out of it. "I feel like something.... Woke up, for lack of a better word. And now it's like there are two of me in my head. Not voices, but two sets of.... Instincts, I guess? I don't know."

Derek sighed what sounded like a knowing sound, heavy and tired. "Stiles was right, you shouldn't have come back-"

"Oh, my God!" You groaned, tossing your head back against the headrest. "Look, I'm here now, so deal with it, Derek."

"Doesn't mean I like it."

"You love me, you know that, so hush, my werewolf friend."

Derek grumbled an annoyed agreeance, making you smile before he sighed again. "Anything else happen at that God forsaken stump?"

You waited a moment, biting your lip as you debated whether to tell him. "I remember what happened before I left, Derek."

"What do you mean?" He turned a corner sharply, pulling up to the loft before sliding the gear into park, letting the engine idle as he turned to you.

"We were best friends. When you started getting cozy with Kate, your mom must have sensed something coming, because, she took most of my memories pertaining to you and your family. I don't know if she felt I was a danger to your family, or if I was a danger to mine, but either way, I always knew about werewolves, and I have a feeling it started before I knew the Hale family secret." You looked down to your lap for a second before looking back up to meet his hard stare. "That's why I ran out of the loft like that. She must have created some failsafe for times like this, knowing I would need to remember someday. All these memories were playing in my mind, and they wouldn't stop until I got by that stump, which I swear was a whole tree when I sat down there."

Derek was about to respond when Scott pulled up on his bike beside his car, stopping and ripping off his helmet. "How in the hell did you beat me?!"

"To my own house? Gee, I wonder, Scott...." Derek was smiling as he cut the engine, removing the keys and got out of the car. Looking at you, his eyes said you would finish this discussion later, and you nodded almost imperceptibly.

**Wait for them to ask you who you know**

To say you paid very little attention to the pack meeting was an understatement.

Flashbacks to your years before, spending time with the Hale family filled your mind.

And the oddest part of all, was you saw not only yourself there, but your entire family as well.

**Please don't make any sudden moves**

The ride started out silently, Derek driving you home after the meeting seeming like a nice gesture instead of the promised continuation of conversation from earlier.

Leaning your head against the cold glass of the passenger window, about to close your eyes, Derek let out a heavy sigh, something he had done a lot since you came back to town, you noted with a small smile.

"I remember all that, too," was how he broke the silence. "It's almost like my remembering is somehow tied to you, because I am remembering things out of nowhere, waking up in the middle of the night only to find the flashbacks continue once I'm awake, that they aren't just a dream." He rubbed the back of his neck, keeping one hand on the steering wheel. "And I'm just as confused as you are." Rain started to patter on the windshield softly, and Derek let his hand fall from his neck down to flick on the wipers before taking the wheel in both hands again.

You studied him unabashedly while he stared down the road before him, the street lights passing overhead illuminating his face in bursts, showing off the glare of canine eyes until the light retreated, leaving him in shadows that highlighted his humanity until the next one came.

Lost in your thoughts, he startled you when he turned to face you, your gaze darting ahead to find your house. "I never gave you my address."

He laughed shyly. "Told you I was remembering things, too."

At first it had been weird moving back into your old house after all those years, but now it seemed like more than just coincidence.

"Thanks. We'll talk more tomorrow?"

He nodded, and after taking a deep breath, you flung the car door open, closing it quickly and dashing to the house, turning to wave goodbye to Derek before going inside, laughing at your rain soaked state. You could have sworn you heard him laugh, as well.

"Y/N, is that you?" You heard your mom's voice say from the kitchen.

"Yeah," you called back, wringing out your soaked shirt without thought, your dad's footsteps coming down the stairs quickly with a towel in hand, tossing it to you. It was like he always had a sixth sense about these things. "Think fast!" he said and you looked up just in time to have the towel land on your face. "I swear, you got your mother's reflexes," he mumbled through a chuckle, his voice getting closer until suddenly the towel was scrubbing your head dry before landing on the floor to catch your puddle of drips.

"I resent that comment," your mother said, laughing, appearing from the kitchen.

Before anymore words could be exchanged, there was a knock on the front door. The hairs on the back of your neck stood on end, and it seemed like all other sound faded. Checking through the curtain covering the small window to the side of the door, you saw a now soaked Derek standing at the door waiting, book in hand, and a bemused smile on his face as he studied the grain of the wood planks at his feet.

Opening the door without explanation to your parents, you smiled up at Derek, and he smiled back down at you. "You forgot this," he said, offering the book.

"Oh! Duh," taking it with one hand, you plastered your other palm to your forehead. "Thanks." You had promised to do some research on the string of events that had led to the pack meeting that night. "Mom, dad, you remember-"

"Derek Hale," your father bit out, coming to stand between you and Derek, gently pushing you further back so you were completely inside. Your mother appeared in front of you, arms crossed as she stared Derek down as well.

Narrowing his eyebrows at you in question, you shrugged, rolling your eyes and rubbing the back of your neck.

"We'll talk more tomorrow," you promised once again, glancing at your parents warily.

"Tomorrow," Derek agreed with a small nod, before backing up slowly, smiling kindly at your parents before glancing your way once again.

"We'll see," you dad said, causing you and Derek to both stop and stare at him for a moment before the front door closed and shut off any further communication.

**You don't know the half of the abuse**

"Why wouldn't I see him, dad?" You wasted no time in jumping into the obvious hole in the conversation that was your parents' views on Derek Hale.

"Do you know what he is, Y/N?"

To say your father's question caught you off guard was putting it mildly. "Do you?" You shot back, crossing your arms, and staring him in the eyes, challenging him.

A silence settled in the room, heavy and stifling, broken only by occasional thunder and lightning as the storm raged outside.

Daring to step a little further, you ventured down the train of thought you had pushed aside for too long. "Do you even know what we are?"

Xxx

 


	7. Part 6

Xxx

**We don't deal with outsiders very well**

The stare off between you and your father lasted an uncomfortable amount of time, but you refused to shift your weight under his glare. In fact, you felt your spine go a little straighter at the challenge, wanting to smirk when he was the first to glance away, sharing a look with your mother who stood to the side, her arms crossed tightly over her chest, her features hard from what you could make out in your peripherals.

"You know, dad," you drawled in a tone Peter would have been proud of, "the time frame for you to give me any type of answer other than an explanation has passed. The fact that you didn't answer immediately means there is a story you're not telling me, and until you tell me, I'm not moving." You crossed your arms over your chest. "Not one inch."

Glancing between you and your mother, your father's face crumbled. "My God, you are a mirror image of your mother right now, and it's scaring me. Stop it!"

"Spill!" You said, not giving him a beat.

"Okay!" He nearly yelled, stopping to take a deep breath, crossing his arms himself before glancing down to them and rolling his eyes before he dropped them back to his sides emphatically. "Okay," he said again, this time softer. Closing his eyes and hanging his head, he let out a heavy sigh. "Yes, to answer your question, I know _exactly_ what we are." Looking back up, he opened his eyes to meet yours, their bright red glow causing your jaw to slowly drop. "I'm a we-"

"Werewolf," you finished for him, softly, the word feeling _right_ coming off your tongue. It had a taste, a feeling, like taking a sip of cold water after being outside in the sun all day.

Your father snapped his mouth shut and nodded once quickly in confirmation, letting his eyes fade, a much less dramatic exit than his entrance.

Glancing to your mom, you raised your eyebrow skeptically. "Why didn't you tell me you guys were werewolves?"

She smiled faintly, looking down to the ground as she rocked back on her heels once before looking up. "Because it wasn't my secret to tell."

A silence settled as you processed the information. Or, rather, _tried_ to. "I don't understand."

"Your father is a werewolf, yes, but I am not."

You stared at her a moment before whining. "Please don't tell me you're a Kanima!"

Your father's "What the hell is a 'Kanima'?" overlapped your mother's "How the hell do you know what a 'Kanima' is?"

The silence was heavy. "You still haven't answered my question," you finally huffed out.

She smiled a bit broader, holding up a hand to silence your father, his face was still screwed up in confusion over the creature you had just mentioned. "I'm a hunter."

Nothing made sense anymore. The world was upside down. Left was right, up was down, and a crooked line was straight. "What?"

Jumping slightly at motion in your peripherals, you turned your gaze back to your father who had flicked out his claws, nodding gently at his mumbled, 'sorry'.

"Why don't I just show you?" His eyes glowed red for a fraction of a second.

Letting out a disbelieving laugh, you stepped back just a fraction of an inch, holding out your hands as a shield. "Nooooo," you elongated the word, laughing on the vowel slightly. "No, thanks. I've already had that done to me, and while it turned out okay in the end, I don't really wanna relive that experience."

"Who?!" Both of your parents yelled in unison.

You gulped. "Never mind, forget it."

Your father shook his head in confusion, but moved on anyway. "We had Talia take your memories before we left because our secret could have gotten you and many others killed."

"Why didn't you do it?" Your question seemed to catch your father off guard before he smiled proudly at the realization that you understood how packs worked on some level.

His eyes glowed bright red yet again, but didn't show any sign of fading. "Because I wasn't an Alpha then."

**They say newcomers have a certain smell**

"So, your dad did that.... _claw_ thing," Stiles mumbled, swiping his hand lamely in a gesture on the word as if no one else in the loft knew what the word meant.

Rolling your eyes, you nodded. "Yes, Stiles, he did the.... _claw_ thing," you imitated his gesture, earning you a huff from your friend, which only made you smirk.

Stiles stared at you blankly for a long moment. "And?"

You sighed. "Oh, my God, Stiles! And now I know why Derek wanted to throw a book at your face the other day!"

He looked to Derek who happened to be studying a thick book on the table by the windows with his back to the two of you on the couch. "You wanted to throw a book at me?!"

"Yes," was Derek's dry answer.

"What day was this?"

"It ended in 'y'."

"Oh," Stiles paused, looking off into the distance deep in thought before nodding in consent. "That's understandable." You narrowed your eyebrows at him. "I forgive you."

"Thank you, it means the world to me, not that I asked."

You snickered at Derek's dry tone as he simply turned a page in the book, Stiles mumbling incoherently as he slumped back into the couch beside you, his arm brushing yours as the cushions plotted to push him your way.

"So?" You looked down to where Stiles' head was resting on your shoulder, and saw him looking up at you expectantly.

You sighed yet again, looking away from him and to no spot in particular across the room before speaking. "I learned about my family. They were a rival pack from here in Beacon Hills." You glanced to your left and saw Derek looking over his shoulder subtly, his attention now on your conversation instead of the book. "Well, not 'rival' in the 'Grrrr! Turf war!' sense," you smiled at Stiles' snort of laughter, seeing Derek's shoulders shake gently in a silent laugh. "More of just a, 'Hey, we both are old families here and have two Alphas because of that, so we kinda have to draw a line in the sandbox and share toys' sense."

"Sounds pleasant," Stiles joked, earning a short lived glare from you before it melted into a genuine chuckle.

"Anyway," you said pointedly, closing your eyes and shaking your head free of the comment before turning back to your random spot in front of you. "My dad ended up meeting a new family of hunters that moved to town, made a pact with them to help one another should the need arise, along with the Hale's, and one thing led to another, ending with a werewolf marrying a hunter, and thus cut off from both the werewolf world and hunter world."

"Wait! They, like, shun you for that?" Stiles sounded outraged, sitting up straight on the couch next to you.

"Don't you remember how Chris acted with Scott and Allison after they found out he was a werewolf?" Derek's voice was soft, and turning your gaze to him, you saw he was looking down at the floor on his right, his profile backlit by the windows, making the downturn of his features more dramatic.

"Yeah," Stiles answered quietly, studying the floor himself in thought, his features slowly melting to match Derek's.

"That's why."

Nodding at Derek's words, you looked back to Stiles who just ran a hand through his hair and slumped back into the couch yet again, looking off into space, deep in thought.

Patting him on the back softly and offering him a sad smile, you waited until he offered you one in return before rising to your feet and walking slowly to stand beside Derek, purposely putting your feet right in his line of sight where he still stared at the ground, making him flit his gaze up to yours with a small smile.

You returned the grin before leaning on your palms on the desk, looking down to the book he still had open. "When I said 'line in the sandbox', I was talking about you, you know." You looked back up to him with a mischievous grin, seeing his own smirk growing on his face.

"Oh, really?" He scoffed, a laugh rumbling in his chest.

"Yeah! You never shared anything!" You put a finger on the book, trying to pull it your way slowly, slyly, but he scoffed again and placed his hand firmly on the opposing page, pulling it out of your reach quickly. "Hey!"

He stuck his tongue out at you playfully, and you mirrored the ridiculous gesture, making you both laugh. Glancing back to the book, the laughter died slowly and your features turned serious.

"They had your mom take our memories because knowing, well, much of anything about the situation put a person at risk. They did it to protect us. They did it because they wanted us to maybe be in each other's lives again one day." You looked back up at him to see him studying the book still firmly under his left hand.

"It sure didn't seem that way with how your dad reacted the other day."

You groaned, going from your palms down to your elbows, burying your face in your forearms and making your voice muffled. "Ugh! Don't remind me. He was just being all Alpha wolfy and stuff." Turning your face back to look at him again, you rested your cheek on your forearms.

"So a turf war?" He was smirking.

Narrowing your eyebrows at him, you mumbled, "Shut up!" before turning back into the comfort of your arms and muttering mean things as he just laughed at you. Once again turning and resting your cheek on your arms, you looked up at your friend as he took a deep sniff of the air, his brow furrowing before a smile also worked it's way onto his features as he looked down at you. "What?"

"Something is different about you." His voice was soft.

"Derek, it's weird that you want to smell me." You spoke blandly, turning to look out the windows in front of you, lifting up a little bit and resting your chin in your palm, elbow still bracketed to the table.

"Wait, what?!" Stiles announced his return to the conversation from across the room, his footsteps quickly and loudly approaching from the couch.

"You're different. ......new."

"New?"

Stiles was suddenly between the two of you, pushing you apart, or rather trying but mostly just flailing and gesturing as he said, "Okay, new rule, and one I thought I would never have to instate, by the way, my friends do not smell each other. It's just weird." He leaned on his palms on the table like you had earlier with a heavy sigh, looking out the window, sandwiched between you and Derek. "I'm surrounded by weirdos."

**You have trust issues, not to mention**

"Y/N! I told you I had it!" Derek was growling at you, his wounds healing as he walked towards you, arm gesturing behind him widely.

"I know, but-"

"But nothing!" He let out a louder growl. "You could have gotten hurt! That wasn't the plan! We stick to the plan! We have it for a reason!"

"Look, I may be new, but I know that you guys' first, sometimes second, even third plans don't always work out!" You were yelling and gesturing your arms widely as well, getting toe to toe with Derek, your face going red in anger, his eyes flashing blue to show his.

"Hey, now!" Stiles interjected from somewhere behind you. "Planner over here. I find that rude."

"Shut up!" Scott yelled, eyes glowing bright red for emphasis.

"Sorry," Stiles said pointedly.

"Not you," Scott huffed before pointing to you and Derek. "The two of you."

"Oh, look, now you got us in trouble, Derek!"

"Me?! What the hell did I do?!"

"Enough!" Scott roared this time, making even the crickets in the vicinity go silent in fear.

Derek turned to Scott, his mouth in a hard line, and you couldn't help but gulp in fear before turning to him with wide eyes.

"The two of you need to quit this bickering. It's annoying, and it isn't helping anyone." He pointed at Derek. "You. Stick to your own part of the plan unless it's absolutely necessary." He turned the finger on you. "And you." His eyes stayed red for a few moments before fading back to human. "Stick to the plan, period. You can't heal like we do, and believe it or not, I take that into account when planning-"

"Uh, not to be that guy, but, me. I take that into account when planning. I do the planning. That's my thing." Scott turned his gaze on Stiles, his eyes glowing again briefly. "Okay, geeze, sorry, you help. Why do I get the glow stick eyes and she gets the puppy dog eyes? What did I ever do to you, Scott?"

You let the two of them bicker while you studied the cement under your feet.

You didn't know where your allegiances lied.

Scott was the Alpha of the pack, but ever since you found out about your family, you felt torn.

Yes, they had lied to you, in a way, but it was to keep you and others safe. But at the same time, it made you wonder what else they were keeping from you.

Scott hadn't lied to you, but he and the rest of the pack, Stiles included, treated you like you would break if the wind blew hard enough. You were tired of people walking on eggshells around you.

Then again, you were doing that to yourself. You didn't quite know what to think about yourself. You just knew you had to trust yourself, it was instinct.

**They say they can smell your intentions**

Scott had decided to separate you and Derek for a while, sending him back to the Loft with Stiles. Both of them had left grumbling. Stiles said something about not repeating the vet clinic incident, earning him a warning growl from Derek before you couldn't hear them anymore.

"That's not going to end well," you said to Scott, pointing over your shoulder at their retreating forms.

He looked past you and closed his eyes with a grimace as you heard indistinct shouting between them before the slams of the Jeep doors, then you still heard their bickering but it was muffled.

Looking you in the eyes, he smiled that kind smile of his. "We can only hope."

The turning of the engine sounded behind you before it stopped altogether. The muffled voices sounded calmer, but they escalated for every failed attempt to start the Jeep, resulting in a startled yelp, which you could only assume was Stiles.

"You were saying?" You asked Scott through a wince.

He shook his head as he watched the Jeep.

The engine turned and sputtered once more before roaring to life, and the muffled cry of victory you heard over the growl of the vehicle made you jump.

Looking to Scott once again, you met his eyes and held his gaze for only seconds before you both burst out laughing.

Walking slowly to where Scott had parked his bike, you stared at the ground as you went, trying to find the right words for an apology.

"You like him."

His statement caught you off guard, making you stop in your tracks, him doing the same only a foot or so in front of you, smirking at your raised eyebrows.

"What?"

He looked in the direction the car had pulled out only minutes before.

"You heard me." He looked at you pointedly before making it the rest of the way to his bike.

It took you a few seconds to snap out of it before you quickly followed after him, scowling. "You don't know that."

"You smell like it." He said it so honestly, and like it was almost a sweet thing, chuckling at the face you pulled, shaking his head gently as he handed you the spare helmet.

"That's gross." You tried to keep your voice detached and even, but it came out on a small laugh as you took the helmet from him roughly, playfully.

"But is it wrong?"

You were glad the visor of your helmet was down to hide your scowl of consideration.

"Shut up and ride, Scotty Boy."

Xxx

 


	8. Part 7

Xxx

**You'll never know the freakshow sitting next to you**

Looking in a mirror had never been an odd thing. In fact it was almost like breathing, you forget you do it sometimes, if there is a mirror, you looked into it.

Lydia had nearly ruined it for you, telling you of all the phantom things she'd seen or experienced due to the things, and you couldn't help but glance over your shoulder when looking at your reflection to make sure nothing else was there from time to time.

It was a gut feeling, something that just made your skin crawl, almost like a magnet leading your eyes away from looking into your own for just a brief moment.

The hairs on the back of your neck stood on end, and the silence seemed heavier, like it was pressing down on you with an unseen force.

Flicking your eyes back to meet your own in the reflection, you startled into a frozen state of shock, your eyes going wide in realization.

It had only been for a second, and it could have just been the lighting, but more often than not, things in this town were more than just what meets the eye.

And the fact that you could have sworn your eyes flickered a bright golden color for a split second was enough to make you do a double take, not daring to glance away, afraid that it had actually happened, and would happen again as soon as you looked away.

**You'll have some weird people sitting next to you**

Sitting on the couch in the loft between Stiles and Scott, the cushions once again conspiring against you and making your friends squeeze into you, you felt a sense of peace for the first time in a long time.

Across from you sat Chris, next to him Derek, then Peter, the rest of the pack filtering in as the discussion continued, and you couldn't help but smile.

Looking around the loft at the ragtag group of hunters and supernaturals that surrounded you, you never would have thought you would be here, but you were so glad somehow you had.

**You'll think, "How'd I get here, sitting next to you?"**

Stiles eyed you with a raised eyebrow. "I know that smile. It's the creepy one."

"This is my real smile, Stiles," you chuckled.

"Exactly." He let out a little yelp when you lightly swatted his chest. "What's going on in that head of yours?"

You just smiled wider. "Thank you."

His head cocked slightly to the side. "For what?"

You leaned into him, resting your head on his shoulder, letting the cushions win. "Staying by my side."

His head straightened, and his eyebrow lowered, a genuine smile climbing up his face to replace them. "Of course! I wouldn't have it any other way. Don't be ridiculous."

**But after all I've said**

It started off as a gnawing pain in your abdomen, and only grew as the sun got lower in the sky.

Falling to your knees in front of the couch, you gripped your stomach with a moan. Your skin felt like it was crawling. "What the hell is happening to me?"

Scott, still beside you on the couch placed his hand on your shoulder, taking the pain, his eyes widening in realization, then his brows knitting in confusion. "You're shifting."

Looking up into his eyes, your own wide, you said the only thing you could. "What?" Removing his hand, the pain washed over you again like a wave, leaving you to curl into a ball on the loft floor, the pack rising to their feet around you, looking on, and not knowing quite what to do.

"I thought she would have shifted by now if she were one of us!" Derek's voice sounded above you, you weren't sure where, your eyes closed from the pain.

"She should have," Peter said quietly.

"Is it even possible for her to shift this late? Is it safe? I mean safe for her?" Chris asked in a rapid fire.

Before they could continue, your eyes shot open, and somehow you knew they were bright gold, and you felt as though everything was spinning out of control.

**Please don't forget**

Stiles was down on his knees in a heartbeat, hand gently on your back, his face close to yours, nearly resting on the ground. "It's okay. You're gonna be okay." The pain lessened just a little only to come back quickly with a vengeance, making you scream out in horror. "Find your anchor." His voice seemed far away, and yet too loud all at the same time.

Some of the pack was shuffling around in search of something, and the sounds of their shoes slapping the ground, rubber squeaking on cement, the squish of the rug under worn tread made you cringe.

Looking up to Stiles through a grimace, you managed to mutter out a few words, your eyebrows knit in confusion. "My what?"

Stiles paled, his face going blank. "Oh God."

The sounds, the smells, the sights, you had to get out of there. Something inside you told you to run. You always felt like running. But it wasn't to run away from something, it was to go and find something. Last time that happened, you had found the evil tree stump from hell.

Glancing to the door, you decided to take your chances, rising to your feet with a speed that made you stagger, the room spinning before righting itself, and it was then that you let your feet fly, carrying you wherever they wanted to go.

**(Watch it, watch it)**

Everything felt different. Everything was brighter, shadows were deeper, and the air smelled damp. Rain was in the air, but not in the weatherman's forecast. You felt triumphant as thunder rolled off in the distance, confirming your new sense of smell. That was dashed away as quickly as the lightning that followed, forking across the sky, when you realized just what exactly that newfound sense could mean.

So you ran. And you ran. Then you ran some more, until the need to stop and breathe was all but a memory, stopping at all seemed more painful than pushing on, an energy crackling through your veins that you had felt since that night at the Nemeton, only now it was nearly boiling through your pores.

You felt like a contradiction on two legs. It was as if the north and south poles were trying to meet in the middle, which just so happened to be wherever you were.

A moving target was harder to catch, right? So with the urge to avoid the collision, you ran as fast as you could. No destination in mind, no real clear thoughts at all, really. Simply the need to get away.

That came to a clamoring halt when Derek stepped in front of you to the tune of a much louder, and closer crack of thunder, the following lightning flash causing the dramatic bounce off of his body from the collision to be even more so, gave it flare.

Werewolves never seemed to half ass anything, even when failing miserably, they did it in style.

You were no exception.

Righting yourself quickly, you simply glared at the roar Derek sent your way, his eyes fluorescent blue, fangs out in full force, and claws tickling the air in the temptation of more dangerous thoughts.

Squaring your shoulders and raising your chin, you let your own golden eyes flash back at him. How, you didn't know, it was just something that happened, a second nature now.

"Put away the pointy bits, Derek. No one likes a show off."

Huffing, Derek conceded, taking a step toward you while he kept his eyes ablaze. "Says the newly shifted werewolf who is maintaining her cool so soon after a first shift better than most any other Beta I have ever seen, bitten or born."

You shrugged, smirking. "We can't all be born awesome, Derek."

He matched your smirk. "Oh, so you're a cocky wolf. I see. You better cut that shit out, otherwise it's going to come back and bite you in the ass."

You scoffed. "I highly doubt that."

Following him with your eyes as he began to circle you with a studious gaze, you should have seen it coming, but you ignored the warning signs until too late. Laying on your back with the wind knocked out of you, you reached up to touch the heavy weight on your chest, wrapping your hands around it to realize it was Derek's foot. Looking further up, you met his amused gaze with your narrowed eyes.

"Still doubting that?"

Trying to get back up, pushing with all your might, you felt a growl vibrate through your chest, low and warning, but it died off with a whimper and a thud as Derek pushed you back down the few inches you had made upward. His heavy boot on your chest was becoming more annoying by the minute.

"Stay down!" He barked, and you almost laughed out loud when that descriptor popped into your head.

"Oh, Derek. Your bark was always worse than your bite...." The last word was strangled out through gritted teeth as his boot pushed down harder, making it harder to breathe.

You wanted to glow your eyes at him, but it just wasn't working.

He chuckled.

"Oh. Those glow sticks aren't working right now, are they? This is what I'm talking about. You don't know control yet. And until you do, it's safer for everyone, including you, if you just stay down."

You spoke through gritted teeth, attempting to wriggle his boothold a little bit lower simply to speak easier. "I don't know how to stay down Derek. It's not in my nature. You should know this by now."

He sighed heavily, his eyes finally fading, as thunder rolled once more in the distance, far away and ominous. "I know. That's why I'm holding you down. You're too tough for your own good, sometimes."

Just then the pack ran up, and you groaned, embarrassment flushing your cheeks that you hid behind your hands. In fact you hid your whole face, just for good measure. "I bet none of you had to be held down like this." It was grumbled, and directed nowhere in particular.

"We all have. More than once," Scott's voice said quietly.

"Yeah, but you are a True Alpha."

He scoffed. "Yeah, but I was a Beta first, just like you. Bitten, at that."

You peeked out from behind your hands, glancing at the faces of those who spoke.

"I was born into this, and I had trouble," Derek said quietly.

"I have seen it all. No one has it easy. Take it from someone who knows," Chris' voice added softly.

"You all forget I was born into this, too! ....Technically!" No one responded to your outburst as you simply threw your hands up in the air, watching the dark clouds swirl overhead. "Oh, God, can someone please just give me something to make this easier?! Is there some anti-werewolf-anxiety pills or something?"

"Not that aren't also lethal," Stiles mused quietly.

"Well. Isn't that just fan freaking tastic," you declared with a sarcastic laugh, still staring at the sky, letting your arms fall lazily to the ground. After a moment of silence. "Will it be like this forever?"

It took a moment before the silence was broken, Derek being the one to speak. "What are you going to do as soon as I take my boot off of you?"

"Get back up again. That's a stupid question."

"Well, ask a stupid question, you get a stupid answer." You glared at him as he grinned. "You'll get back up again and move forward. You'll be fine."

Xxx

 


	9. Part 8

Xxx

**All my friends are heathens. Take it slow**

Life as a werewolf was overwhelming.

Not only were you already feeling ninteenhundred and one emotions at once, now each and every one of them was multiplied to the power of fifteen. You were never one for math, but of these numbers you were certain.

School was a fresh hell, filled with bells that sounded like the screams of the damned, lockers slamming shut sounding like thunder right outside your door, and locks spinning sounding like an electric drill bit at full speed. Pens clicking, gum chewing, zippers zipping, pencils sharpening, papers jostling- You were lucky all you did was crack the desk you sat at in the back of the class in half.

The splintering of it's faux wood composition the only sound left before perfect silence surrounded you, making you smile softly, and you almost got lost in the blissful peace before pounding heartbeats bombarded your surroundings. Whispers filled the air, one by one, all pointed at you. Talking about the freak, asking what was wrong with the new girl, what was her problem, how long had she been a student here, and where could they get some of what she was on?

Whispers curled around you until they all abruptly stopped with one sound, a voice directly in front of your desk, er, what was left of it.

"What the hell- You kids break more- How am I gonna-" Coach mumbled to himself, rubbing the back of his neck as he crouched in front of your desk, before abruptly standing with his war face once again painted on his features, glaring daggers at the other students. "The rest of you! Shut it!"

Only one sound was left, which was your own heartbeat pounding in your ears. Glancing around some looked back at you unabashedly, while others quickly averted their gazes. It was all too much. You could smell it all - fear, disgust, intrigue. The weight of the remaining gazes felt like a thousand pounds on your shoulders, and the fact that you could hear things meant to be left hushed, smell things left to be unspoken, and see things meant to go unnoticed.... Looking back down to the splintered pieces of the desk in front of you, you couldn't help but feel a lot like that desk.

Broken, and ragged at the edges. Sharp, and unavoidable pain from being handled too heavily. Ripped in half from too much pressure on opposing sides.

Torn at the seams, you felt exposed and vulnerable, not knowing which threads needed to be cut, and which needed to be mended.

**Wait for them to ask you who you know**

Your parents knew about the pack, and about your involvement, but they didn't know you had shifted.

Despite one being a werewolf and one a hunter, how are you supposed to tell your parents, "Hey! By the way, I get extra hairy sometimes, too!"?

You felt different, like there had been a shift in your personality. They were suspicious that something was going on, but they just didn't know what. For some reason your father didn't smell the change, and it wasn't like your mom kept wolfsbane, mountain ash, or mistletoe just laying around the house. Not that you really knew exactly what any of those things did, just that they were werewolf no-no's.

Regardless, the full moon was coming again soon, and you still couldn't find a source of control. The mantra Derek had taught you worked just a little, but only if you started it in time, and even then, your eyes still stayed yellow, and you felt your claws and fangs poking painfully from the inside just itching to come out.

If you couldn't find an anchor in the next few days, your parents were about to have all the dots connected and shoved into their faces, snarling and all.

**Please don't make any sudden moves**

Your parents were supposed to be out. It was date night. You were supposed to be able to shift in peace in your room, alone, hoping the familiar smells and location would help calm you down.

"Mom, why are you guys still here?" You rushed to her where she stood in front of her doorway down the hall, fastening an earring as she smiled softly at you.

"It's just me, honey. Dad's running a little late at work." She scoffed, peering out the window at the end of the hallway beside the two of you, smirking as the full moon came into view. "Between you and me, I think he just wanted to go for a run. That man will always be a puppy at heart." She shook her head fondly, turning to go back into her room, almost over the threshold before she spun back around to face you, eyebrows knit in question. "Why? What's wrong?"

"Nothing." You glanced at the moon through the window, taking a deep breath as it disappeared behind some clouds, before turning quickly and making your way back to your room.

Your mom followed you, hot on your heels as you got into your room, her eyebrows still knit, eyes narrowing at you. "What's going on?"

Just then the clouds parted and your room was bathed in bright, pure moonlight, making the monster inside of you stretch with a yawn before trying to claw it's way out again. Turning to your mom, you looked her dead in the eyes and spoke as evenly as you could, holding back the shift as long as possible. You could already feel your nails elongating and biting into the flesh of your palms as you kept your hands in fists at your sides. "Get in the hallway, and no matter what I say, don't come in my room."

Her eyes were wide, her expression now concerned, and her voice sounded almost panicked. "Why?"

It was coming. She needed to get out of this room, hunter or not, married to a werewolf, or not, it wasn't safe for her. "Get. Out." Your voice didn't sound like your own, it sounded twisted, demonic, and low. And you knew without a shadow of a doubt that your eyes were glowing bright yellow before you slammed the door shut and locked it before curling into a ball on the floor as the pain washed over you, both from shifting, and the pain in your heart as your mother pounded on the door, repeating your name in a heartbroken and scared cry.

**You don't know the half of the abuse**

It had hurt that first time, but you had been told that was only because it was the first. This was more painful than the last, and it felt different. It felt wrong.

You knew some of the pack would be nearby, but you wouldn't put it past your parents to have soundproofed the house, so you didn't even try calling out for help. Instead you shot Stiles a text.

_Y/N: Shift is oddly painful._

It wasn't long before you got a reply.

_Stiles: But at least your sense of humor is still intact. 'Oddly painful'? Someone's been studying._

You laughed, and felt a bit of the pain subside.

_Y/N: Ha-Ha. But I'm serious. Something isn't right._

Just as you sent off that message, you felt an excruciating wave of pain wash over you, and you began to shudder, like you were being shaken from the inside. A scream of pain tore itself from your lips, and once you started, it felt like you couldn't stop.

Your phone vibrated with a call, distracting you momentarily, enough for the yelling to subside. Gritting your teeth, with great effort and a low growl you hit 'accept' when you saw Stiles' face, barking out a "What?" without waiting for a hello.

"Y/N? Are you okay? I'm almost there," you could hear the Jeep's unmistakable rattling roar in the background, "just hold on, okay? Try the mantra."

"It's not working," you seethed. "It's too late-" Your words died off on another cry of anguish, moaning, screaming, everything came out. Growling, snarling. God, you hoped your parents had soundproofed the house, otherwise your neighbors would think you were into some extremely kinky stuff right about now.

You heard the tires screech to a halt through the phone, and outside the house simultaneously. "Derek? Peter? What are you doing here?" Stiles' voice came through the phone.

"Oh, God, they are here?" You bit out the words and huffed, rolling your eyes.

Derek's voice came over the line. "We're all here, Y/N. We heard you screaming."

Great. No soundproofing. Oh, well, the neighbors would have to get over it.

"We can't get in, though," Peter's voice came next, and you realized you were on speaker.

"What? Why not?" You groaned through the next wave.

"Mountain ash," Stiles said absently, shortly followed by Scott's voice mumbling a question, then a weird 'woosh' sound. "What, I had to test my theory before jumping into action," Stiles said to what you assumed was a scowling Scott. "Y/N? You still with us?" You growled. "Okay. Good. I'm coming in."

"Stiles, no! What if I hurt you?" You reached for the phone, holding it to your ear now, grimacing through the pain.

"You won't."

"You don't know that."

"Yes I do."

"Stiles-"

"Just trust me. Please?"

You let silence be your answer.

Soon you heard Stiles outside your door, talking your frantic mother down, telling her to go downstairs and everything would be explained. After she finally walked away, hesitantly at first, then reluctantly dragging her feet along, you heard your doorknob jostle.

"Hang on. Gimme a minute. I'll unlock it for you." Slowly you made it to your feet, biting the inside of your cheek through the pain, only to stop when you heard an odd scraping noise, followed by more handle jostling, and your door opening to reveal a beaming Stiles.

"Did you just pick my door?" You asked after a moment.

"Yup," He grinned, but his eyes carried his concern.

Nodding in defeat, you went to roll your eyes at him before you collapsed to your knees, all the energy suddenly zapped from your body.

"Hey, hey, hey! I got you." Stiles rushed in, scooping you up in his arms bridal style, and you did the best you could to help by wrapping your arms loosely around his neck, smiling almost imperceptibly, your eyes nearly shut. "For some reason I thought you'd be heavier."

You felt the smile grow slightly, and let your head loll against his chest. "For some reason I thought you'd have more trouble carrying me."

He laughed, and the vibrations from it made you feel like energy was starting to pour into your veins again. Opening your eyes a little more, you saw your mother looking on with a face of realization as Stiles carried you past her, taking you out to the front yard and laying you down in the grass, where you saw the rest of the faces of the pack surround you from overhead. Concern was on all their faces, as well as relief, but no one held any amount of fear.

Your head no longer pounded, and you could think clearly. The urge to shift right at your fingertips, but you kept it held in. Letting out a relieved but tired sigh, you looked up to Stiles who stayed close to you after setting you down, your hands held in his after he removed them gently from around his neck, the soft movement of his thumbs back and forth against your knuckles keeping you grounded despite the freakout you felt brewing.

"Why do you have so many keys if you just pick the locks anyway?"

Stiles burst out laughing as you felt an easy smile climbing up your face, the rest of the pack joining in, and you looked around at all their happy faces, committing this moment to memory.

Yeah, life as a werewolf was overwhelming. But it was also full of awesome moments like this. Awesome people like these. And awesome stories to tell for years to come, like everything that had just happened leading up to now.

You sobered up at that thought, looking up to the doorway to see your mom looking somber, her gaze leaving yours to look at the end of the driveway where you saw your father's car just parked and shutting off. Stepping out of the vehicle in jeans and a white t-shirt, you noticed a few stray twigs and leaves in his hair, and that made you want to smile, but the look in his eyes made you remember.

"What the hell is mountain ash?"

Xxx

 


	10. Part 9

Xxx

**All my friends are heathens. Take it slow**

**(Watch it)**

"What the hell is happening?" Instead of an answer to your question, your father fired one right back at you, eyeing the pack members around his yard who now stood up, backs straight in recognition of his rank, but still surrounding you in a sort of semicircle.

Stiles stayed on the ground with you, never letting go of your hand, never stopping the soothing movements of his thumb against your knuckles, but his back straightened along with the rest of them, head raised to look at your father somewhat defiantly.

You didn't bother to move, even though your skin felt like it was crawling on itself. Instead you turned your face away from your father and to Stiles' thumb as it continued to trace absent lines on the back of your hand, calming the skin he came in contact with, making each swipe feel like a grounding wire to the chaos that was your mind.

It wasn't a forced action, in fact, you didn't even think he knew he was doing it, and for anyone not in a pack mentality, it would appear somewhat intimate, a thing only shared between a couple. But for everyone present, they knew what it was.

Wolves can take pain, but so can humans. You glanced up to Stiles' face, his brows knit, his mouth in a straight line as he stared at your father, and you couldn't help the small smile you felt turn up your face. You'd have to tell him later, after all, every hero should know their superpower, right?

"She's shifting." Derek's voice was dry, void of emotion, but the anger and confusion coming off of him in waves proved he was wrestling very hard to keep the calm facade. "This is her second full moon, so she hasn't quite figured it out yet."

"And even at that, her first moon, she didn't fully shift, either." Peter placed a hand on Derek's shoulder, allowing his nephew to step away from the conversation should he need to. "Mainly just the eyes, senses, and speed. She's a natural, though, gotta give her that," he chuckled. "Took us all a while to track her down in the woods. She's got a knack for it."

"Which one of you bit her?!" Your father roared, eyes blazing as he took a step forward, stopping at the immediate return of glowing eyes of all different shades and growls of varying ferocity being sent his way from your pack, including yourself, which made him look down to you, his mouth snapping shut.

Looking up he studied the various eyes until he reached Scott's, glowing red just like his, making him square up his shoulders in your friend's direction, only earning him a warning growl, almost taunting from Scott.

You rolled your eyes.

_Alphas._

Chris stepped between them and your father, your mother now beside him as well, nodding to Chris from his other side. Placing a hand gently on the front of your father's shoulder, Chris held up his other hand to show he had no weapon, nor was he reaching for one. "Hey, now, let's all take a moment and talk this out. No one bit your daughter." Chris didn't even flinch when your father's red eyes snapped up to meet his, a low growl on his lips. "No one bit your daughter," he repeated in a lower voice, pushing slightly to make your father take a step back, your mother snaking her hand into his, making the red in his eyes die with a flicker.

Realization dawned on his features, and quickly he was looking back down at you, and despite the want to melt into the grass you still laid in, you held a stony face, not giving away a single thing.

Derek had moved closer to you, standing near your head. You knew the only thing keeping him from sitting was the slight possibility of needing to defend you. Reaching your free hand out you gently wrapped it around his ankle, giving his pant leg a gentle tug, making him look down at you, the blue in his eyes fading with a blink. "Calm down," you whispered, gripping his ankle again.

You felt the same sensation that Stiles' soothing motion gave you flooding your body from head to toe, finally feeling at ease for the first time in a month, even though you didn't touch his skin.

Gripping his ankle tightly through his jeans, you gave a squeeze until you saw him relax somewhat, taking it as a win.

Looking down towards your feet, you saw Peter standing there, hovering, the same way Derek was, and you reached out, kicking him gently on the side of his calf to get his attention, laughing gently at his annoyed and hissed, "Ow!"

"Down, boy," you said playfully, but quietly, knowing how he hated the dog jokes, nodding in thanks when he sent a single nod and grunt your way in acknowledgment, his posture easing slightly.

The rest of the pack had closed in around you, their ranks tight as they flanked you behind Stiles' back. You kept a weary glance going Lydia's way, hoping she didn't sense any imminent deaths from the group.

Scott stood in front of you, not backing down in the slightest in the presence of another Alpha. "The mountain ash is like at Deaton's," he stated, looking to your parents for confirmation. "The house is lined with it, but if a human," he looked to your mother pointedly before continuing to no one in particular, "breaks the barrier by opening a door, or simply allowing a supernatural across, it's no longer an issue. When I first shifted I had no problem coming in and out of the clinic, but Peter couldn't even touch the counter."

"She's only half werewolf so we didn't know it got passed on until now." Your mother's voice was soft, and you met her eyes before they flitted away from yours to look up at your father again.

"So the mountain ash only affected her once she started to shift...." Stiles was trying to piece this whole puzzle together. "That's why you could get in and out no problem, but technically your wolf hadn't been invited in. This all is starting to sound like a TV show plot."

**Wait for them to ask you who you know**

**(Watch it)**

Wanting to understand, the next day you went to visit the vet.

Never in your life had you thought that would be a thing you would do, going to a vet for answers on why your house was toxic to you.

Everyone huddled around the exam table in the back, Stiles avoiding the needles not in cabinets or drawers with a wide girth and disdainful look, making you giggle.

You wiggled your fingers mindlessly where your arms hung at your sides in nerves, stilling when Derek gripped your hand tightly as he stood beside you. Looking up to him, his face remained impassive, and he didn't even acknowledge the gesture, but when you had stared at him for too long, he gave your hand a hard squeeze, making you let out a low growl of annoyance before looking forward again. You could have sworn you saw the corners of his mouth twitch up just slightly in your peripherals.

"What Stiles and Scott said is right," Deaton stated with an easy smile, his eyes on you. "That's the reason you moved back into the same house, especially given your father's new rank in the pack. They needed the extra security, just to be safe."

"Safe from what?" You found yourself asking before really thinking it through.

"Well, think about it. Who was the only one able to make it through?" He crossed his arms, waiting for an answer.

"Stiles."

"Exactly. None of your supernatural friends were welcome, by default. For the same reason they left Beacon Hills years ago. It was a security system for you. They didn't want you tangled in this mess unless you wanted to be. So this was just their way of keeping the two worlds separated until you were ready."

"But what if I had never stumbled upon it? How would they explain that then?"

"I guess they hoped they would never have to."

"My concern," Peter piped up, "is that she hasn't ever fully shifted."

"How do you mean?" The vet knit his eyebrows, looking at the older Hale.

"She gets the speed, strength, senses, claws, fangs, and eyes, but they are unpredictable, and usually, even on full moons, it's everything but the claws and fangs."

"I remember my first few shifts," Scott added, "I blacked out for most of them, and even if I didn't, I was definitely more wolfy than Y/N is being. It's like it's right there, under the surface, but it just doesn't want to come all the way out."

"Oh believe me," you huffed, "it wants to." You growled lowly in annoyance, making the vet chuckle.

"I see. Just keep an eye on her. I have a feeling that will all resolve itself soon."

**Please, all my friends are heathens. Take it slow**

**(Watch it)**

"Stiles, you could get hurt!" You shouted at your friend in the hospital hallway, the lights flickering overhead ominously, and not a single heartbeat was heard on the floor aside from the two of you.

"So could you!" Stopping in his tracks, making you skid slightly, he stared back at you as if you had told him you were thinking of growing a second head.

"But I'm a werewolf. .....kinda." You looked in his eyes, only able to handle the disapproval and sarcasm for a few seconds before you had to look away, focusing on the floor and walls.

"That doesn't count!" He scoffed, laughing slightly and pulling his signature ridiculous face.

"Neither does your bat!" You gestured to the thing to emphasize your point.

He gasped, pulling the bat close to his chest, and earning an eye roll from you. "How rude!"

A growl reverberated from the floor above you, both of you looking up slowly as if you could see through the ceiling panels, and to the monster above. A grunt from what sounded like Scott, a thud following shortly after, further down the hall, and you guessed he had been thrown by the thing. Lydia let out a scream from the opposite end Scott had hit that had you both wincing and covering your ears even though it was muffled through the floor, and the whooshing vibrations of her sound waves traveling down the space toward where you heard the original growl suddenly came to a sickening halt when a growing roar was abruptly silenced.

What you assumed to be the sound of blood dripping slowly beat in your ears like a drum, making you cringe.

"What?" Stiles asked, his voice barely audible as he whispered.

"You don't want to know."

"Yes I do!" He said petulantly.

"I hear what I think is blood dripping like water-"

"No I don't!" He quickly said, holding up a hand in gesture for you to stop describing the sound you wish you hadn't heard yourself.

The sound of a large body slumping to the floor and remaining still caused you and Stiles to look at one another wide eyed.

You grinned. "You have one badass girlfriend, my friend."

Stiles' eyes went wide. "How many times do I have to tell you, she isn't my girlfriend!"

"Yet," you chuckled. He opened his mouth to refute, but you cut him off. "Yeah, yeah, I know, you have a ten year plan, blah, blah, blah." You grinned again. "Still doesn't change the fact that she kicks ass."

He blushed and looked at the floor with a small grin. "Yeah, she's pretty amazing."

"Kinda like someone else I know."

Stiles looked up to you with a scoff, chuckling as he lightly pushed your shoulder, and stumbling back when you retaliated with a little too much force.

"Hey, watch it with those muscles, wolf girl. Not all of us are blessed with peak physical perfection overnight like all you lycanthropes I keep finding wandering into my life." After a moment of silence you burst out laughing, a loud belly laugh that made you bend over at the waist, and Stiles couldn't help but chuckle along. "I'm serious! You guys are like strays I find wandering on the side of the road, and I just can't say no to those adorable faces!"

Just then the elevator dinged behind you and a blood spattered Scott and Lydia appeared, faces less than enthused as they made their way towards the two of you, the rest of the pack making their way in through various hallways and stairwells.

Stiles gestured to the first two leading the bunch. "See? Who could say no to that?!"

"A sane person!" You and Stiles both started laughing much too hard, ignoring everyone's looks of confusion or annoyance.

After a moment or two, you both took much needed breaths. "Oh, I missed you, my friend. All these years. I missed you the most of everything in Beacon Hills."

Stiles smiled. "Right back at ya!"

You gave him a hug, ignoring the others shuffling by. "Really and truly, I missed you, Stiles. Thank you, for everything. And don't you dare ever leave me again."

**Wait for them to ask you who you know**

The red and blue glow of the police car lights came all too soon at the emergency entrance to the hospital, and sticking with the plan b just in case, you and Stiles ushered the rest of the pack out a side entrance quickly, the two of you staying behind for questioning in order to distract from the other's escape and give Parrish time to get here and come up with a solution for the monster body one floor up.

Scott's dad barged through the front doors, and both of you breathed a small sigh of relief. He at least knew something was going on with supernatural here in town, so buying time was going to be a little bit easier.

That is until the men in full tactical gear ran in behind him, asking where the perpetrator was. He looked as confused as you and Stiles did.

"Who sent you?" Mr. McCall asked the man closest to him, eyebrows knit in confusion.

"I did," a female voice said from behind them, and the elder McCall looked over their heads before sighing and rolling his eyes, a hand dragging down his face in exasperation.

"I told you to-" he stopped and took a deep breath, letting it out before turning back to the man in front once again. "There has been a mix up. No perpetrator on the premises. Do not, and I repeat, do not, take one step further into this hospital unless I personally give you clearance to."

"But we were told by officer-"

"Do you understand?" His voice held so much authority it had you nodding your head in understanding at his back, even though he wasn't even talking to you, making Stiles raise an eyebrow at you in question.

"Yes, sir!" The man said, looking straight forward and standing at attention.

Just as McCall went to speak with the officer who tried to go over his head, Parrish breezed by, nodding to Stiles to follow him upstairs. "Go," you told him. "I'll stay here and make sure no one tries to go up."

"And I'll stop anyone who gets past her." Derek's voice suddenly at your back made you jump, quickly spinning around to face him as he wore a wide grin, but it quickly left his face and he reached his hands out to rub up and down the upper part of your arms like you would to calm someone, pulling you slightly closer in the process and dipping his head just enough to look at you at eye level. "Are you okay?" He said in a normal tone, pulling you closer still with a shushing sound, wrapping you in a hug you didn't return at first, going stiff at the gesture and it's abruptness.

Suddenly his voice was in your ear, his nose in your hair making you shudder with every breath he breathed out as it made some loose strands move and tickle the bare skin of your clavicle where they rested. "They are watching us like hawks," he whispered. "Calm down. It's all going to be okay." He pushed you away to arms length to look at your face, and you nodded gently, letting your arms wrap loosely around his midsection, making it look all the more a comforting moment, but really you just needed to anchor yourself, and for some reason being around Derek was just what you needed.

Tilting his head slightly, you realized he was listening in on the action upstairs, and you tuned in yourself just long enough to hear Parrish grunting, a heavy mass dragging across the floor, and Stiles several steps behind him mumbling an emphatic, "Ew."

You let out a soft laugh, Derek doing the same before you heard a soft thud from above, one only supernatural ears could hear. "Ow," Derek muttered, and you looked at him in confusion.

He smiled cheesily and spoke quietly through his teeth. "Would you kindly remove your claws from my back? Thanks."

"What?" You lifted your arms slightly, pulling your hands just inches from his body and saw beneath his leather jacket, where your claws were indeed out. "Oh. Sorry. I didn't know-"

"It's okay," he grimaced, using his elbows to push your arms back down, once again holding him close. "One of the many reasons I wear jackets," he mumbled on a chuckle, looking over your shoulder at the scene behind you, making sure no one was trying to slip by.

Deciding to look over your shoulder yourself, you were cut short just shy of seeing anything by Derek's finger on your chin gently turning you back toward him. "Uh, uh, uh," he chided quietly to keep the conversation private. "Turn off the neons before you do that."

"My eyes, too?!"

Derek nodded once. "You're practically glowing."

"Stop enjoying this so much. Your puns are atrocious and you know it. Stop gloating."

"I'm not gloating!" He scoffed, finally leaving the chaos behind you to look you right in the eye, and you instantly felt the fade back to as normal as you got when his gaze met yours.

"I.... I can't control myself. This is bad." You studied the floor, biting your bottom lip and worrying it between your teeth.

"Hey, everybody slips up sometimes. You're new, it's okay. And you are controlling yourself. Right now." You snapped your gaze back up to his, eyes wide in realization. "Looks like you finally found an anchor of some kind."

Lost in the meaning of his words, the scene unrolling behind you faded away, until all you heard was your heart beating in tandem with another, and you wondered if he already knew they created a rhythm that tied you back down and helped you when you just wanted to float.

You wondered if he knew, and more importantly, if he felt it, too.

Xxx

 


	11. Part 10

 

Xxx

**Why'd you come? You knew you should have stayed**

**(It's blasphemy)**

Jogging up to the scene, you saw the ground quite disturbed from the scuffle, the only evidence on your friends were a few smudges of dirt on their skin, and an errant leaf or two in their hair.

A hand wrapping around your bicep drew your attention away, looking up to see Derek glaring down at you, huffing and puffing in anger. You were tempted to make a joke, but thought better before the big bad wolf could bite your head off, most likely not metaphorically.

"I told you to wait in the car." He hissed, voice quiet just in case anything felt like lurking in the area, despite the pack's recent win.

"Then who would have saved your ass?" You kept your voice low, deadpanning despite the smile of amusement as you continued to poke the wolf.

He huffed in aggravation, his voice slightly rising. "Car. I told you to stay."

"Did not." He wouldn't win this.

"Y/N-" He sighed.

"Lies." You cut him off, ignoring the daggers he sent your way.

Abruptly he turned you with a death grip on your arm, dragging you back to where Stiles' Jeep was parked. You were halfway there, grumbling nonsensical things when both of you pulled up short, heads clocking to listen when you heard the dogs, followed shortly by police speaking over radios, and heavy footsteps coming from somewhere on your right. Soon you could see the beams of flashlights in the distance as well.

Hands against both of your backs, you lurched forward as one unit with the sudden push, Derek not letting go of your arm this entire time. Looking behind you, Scott and Stiles were glancing to the right apprehensively, pushing you and Derek along hurriedly.

"Why didn't you stay in the car?"

You let out an annoyed growl, making Derek and Scott chuckle. "Don't start with me, Stilinski."

**I tried to warn you just to stay away**

**(Away)**

Derek tried to push you away. Ever since all the memories had finally come back, and your shifts were steadily getting more and more hairy, as Stiles always said about them with an impish smile, it's like he was building a wall between you two, whether to keep something out, or keep something in, you didn't know, but hell if you weren't going to find out.

"Derek, talk to me," you tried for the fifteenth time that week, walking into the eerily empty loft, save your brooding friend. To your surprise, he finally answered after a moment.

"I'm bad news to anyone I talk to, Y/N."

You let out a sarcastic bark of a laugh. "Welcome to my world."

"Oh, hell, I give up." It took him two quick strides before he was in front of you, your cheeks cupped in his hands as he lowered his face down to yours right as you pushed yourself onto your tiptoes to meet him halfway.

Only, instead of a kiss, you ended up basically head butting him, and you both stood there silently, blinking rapidly for a moment until the tension melted into laughter.

"Sorry," you blushed, looking to the floor.

"Someone's eager," he mused with a mischievous grin, making your eyes snap back up to his with a glare.

"Shut up and kiss me, Hale."

**And now they're outside ready to bust**

**(To bust)**

It felt like an eternity since you had had a moment to just be still. Sitting on the couch in the loft with Derek, snuggled into his side, you sighed contentedly, thinking about what had happened only minutes ago.

When he had kissed you, that feeling that kept you sane when you felt like your skin would burst washed over you from head to toe, and not only did you finally feel calm again, you felt weightless. It was like he was the thing keeping you from going too high off the ground, and it was then that you realized.

"I found my anchor, by the way. Thought I should tell you." You looked down, fiddling with a loose string on the cushion beneath you.

A finger under your chin lifted your face up to look into his, his eyes looking between yours as a smile worked it's way up his face, and you realized how much you missed it when it was gone. "I know."

Both of your phones went off with alert after alert before you could continue the conversation, and you glanced at the names on your screen where it sat on the coffee table, seeing the names of most of the pack.

"They're waiting outside the door. They don't want to disturb us." Derek hadn't looked away from you, lightly tapping his ear when you looked at him with knit eyebrows in question, listening yourself for a brief moment to hear the excited, hushed whispers outside the door, along with the sounds of outgoing texts before your own phone beeped to show it had been received.

Looking Derek in the eye, you grinned. "Good. My bite is worse than my bark."

You heard whispering in the hallway, shortly followed by Stiles' voice at normal volume, "Ew."

Derek laughed, making your smile grow, before he pulled you close once again and whispered against your lips, "Prove it."

**It looks like you might be one of us**

Your shifts might have become more reliable, but if you knew anything, it was always good to have a plan B with this pack.

The Omega was getting the upper hand on Scott, and now more than ever were you glad you had packed your backup. Letting loose an arrow, you hit the Omega right in the thigh, making him go down almost instantly, Chris chuckling at your back, muttering "nice shot", and the other pack members quickly restraining the Omega.

Scott looked at you with wide eyes, his eyebrows raised practically to his hairline.

You smiled, shrugging. "Did I ever tell you I shoot bow and arrow?"

"No, you didn't - wait, who taught you?" His face already gave away that he knew the answer.

Chris walked up beside you, smiling softly. You shared a look with the man you considered an Uncle by proxy, and got lost in the thoughts that his next words brought on.

Looking directly at Scott, Chris spoke with that same gentle smile. "Allison. Thought she needed to know self defense. Beats the bill they racked up at the mall."

You lightly whacked Chris in the bicep with the back of your hand as you passed by, earning you a chuckle. Pushing the bow and quiver full of arrows against his chest, you waited until his fumbling grip held them securely, and he looked at you with a raised eyebrow in question.

Smiling a gentle smile of your own, you let it grow as you said quietly, "If only she could see me now." Letting your eyes glow their bright yellow, and your smile take a turn for the mischievous side, you turned and looked at your pack scattered around the area.

Somehow, everything in your life had come full circle, back to where you started years ago with the Hale family, the Argent's, and all your classmates you now called family. You had learned many things over the last few months, but most of all you learned how sometimes you have to lose yourself, or at least who you think you are, in order to find who you are supposed to be.

How some people and places are temporary, but they leave a lasting effect, and how no matter where the road takes you, enjoy the scenery, the company, because those are what you will remember most, not the speed limit signs, not the mile markers, or the street names.

You'll remember the laughter, the stories, the mundane and the epic, you'll remember everything.

Stiles ambled up beside you, standing shoulder to shoulder, taking in the scene with you, hands deep in his pockets. "Penny for your thoughts?"

You smiled yet again, well, to be honest, you hadn't stopped smiling, but you felt it grow just a little more still as you continued to look at the people around you, feeling your eyes fade back to human. "This is who I am now, and this is the family I've forged for myself."

"And then they all rode off into the sunset," Stiles said in a whimsical voice, his hands spreading in the air in front of him dramatically as if he was picturing the moment.

You glanced sideways at him, chuckling before he let out a snicker then a yelp when you lightly shoved his shoulder making him stumble a few steps before he came right back beside you, still laughing. "Shut up, I'm allowed to have profound moments every now and then, okay?" You looked around at the mixed bunch, supernaturals, humans, and hunters, and couldn't help the overwhelming feeling of just being at home. "Some ties are stronger than bloodlines."

He held his hands up as if in surrender. "What? No! I'm just saying I can totally get on board with that train of thought! I agree with you!" His hands went back to his pockets, his voice returning to it's normal octave, becoming soft and sincere. "I'm glad you're back, Y/N."

The damn smile just wouldn't go away. "Me, too, Stiles." You looked around once more at all the faces you wouldn't forget a day in your life, catching Derek's eye for a brief moment and smiling even wider at the wink he sent your way before continuing, your voice soft and happy. "Me, too."

Xxx

 


End file.
